FLY-TIPPING is costing County Durham taxpayers hundreds of thousands of pounds a year, according to a report.

The study, by Durham County Council's working group set up to tackle the illegal dumping of waste, reveals for the first time the full extent of the problem.

It is estimated that about 9,000 tonnes of fly-tipped waste had to be cleared up by district councils in 2002 to 2003.

It cost the authority £249,000 to dispose of it in landfill sites, while the district and borough councils had to pay for its collection and the Environment Agency spent thousands on enforcement action.

The problem can also hit landowners hard. The report says that a recent incident on land next to East Howle Caravan Park, in Wear Valley, cost the landowner £26,000 to clean up.

The worst spot for offending was Derwentside, which accounted for more than a third of all fly-tipping in the county.

Councillor Trevor Carroll, chairman of the working group, said: "Fly-tipping is unsightly, objectionable and damages our environment.

"Many of us at some time will pass a pile of abandoned rubbish in a lay-by or quiet country lane and shake our heads in disbelief."

The county council has to pay landfill tax of £15 for every tonne of rubbish that is buried. The tax is to more than double in the next six years, rising to £35 a tonne in 2010.

It fears more operators will try to avoid the charge by disposing of waste illegally instead of taking it to an authorised landfill site.

In May, the county council and five district authorities agreed jointly to hire an officer to identify and prosecute offenders.

The working group's study found that each month 48,000kg of waste is illegally dumped in Wear Valley - enough to cover a football pitch in a four-inch layer.

It also revealed that, because there was often little traceable evidence of fly-tipping culprits, council officers were reluctant to prosecute.

Of the seven district and borough councils, only Chester-le-Street Council had undertaken a fly-tipping prosecution.

The report recommends a more co-ordinated approach to fly-tipping, and an extension of opening times for waste recycling centres.

The issue is to be discussed by the county council's scrutiny sub-committee for the environment today.